I Won't Give Up
by lovelyladylily22
Summary: ***This Is A Sequel. Please read my story Breathe Again first.*** Spike has received the effects of the Shanshu prophecy. But his fight isn't even close to being over. As the Senior Partners prepare to move against him, he forgets everything about himself, and everything about Buffy. Buffy must race against the clock to remind him who they both are before she can help him.
1. Chapter 1

(If you haven't read my story Breathe Again, please do not comment on this one yet! If you have, feel free to let me know what you think! I don't own the characters.)

His heart was beating. For the first time in over a century, Spike had a pulse. He knew that the fact that the Shanshu prophecy had been passed to him somehow was a big deal. But the truth was, and he'd never dream of telling Buffy this, he was somewhat saddened by the loss of his immortality. Sure, he was happy, because it meant living with her. Living a real, human life with the woman he loved. But he couldn't help but somewhat miss the life he had grown accustomed to for so long.  
Spike spent the next few days going through every test imaginable. Willow and the others tested him for all forms of illness and disease. "Spike's immune system is not adequate enough to fight off today's viruses and infections. We need to immunize him and boost his immune system before he's exposed to the world outside the compound." Willow had explained to Buffy and Spike one evening.  
Spike was growing weary of being locked in the compound, so Buffy came up with ideas to keep him occupied. But he knew she longed to go back out on patrol, where all the action was happening.  
"Love, you should be out there fighting, not babysitting me." Spike reached out and touched her cheek gently. She sighed, but smiled slightly.  
"You heard Willow, Spike. You can't risk being exposed to anything germy. And until you can, I can't risk going out and getting sick or something. If I did, I wouldn't be able to see you until I was sure it was gone. And I don't want to be away from you for that long."  
Spike grinned at her. He knew things had changed between them, but he had no idea of the changes still coming. As he laid back against the bed, dark forces were in play elsewhere in the city.


	2. Chapter 2

While Buffy and the others were so distracted with Spike's newfound humanity, the Senior Partners, still very much in existence, were gathering forces to move against them. Angel and the remainder of his group, which amounted to a badly injured Gunn and an even more uncooperative Illyria, had evaded their attempts thus far. But Angel knew it as only a matter of time before the Senior Partners caught up to him.  
When Gunn's condition worsened, Angel knew they would need help. But he also knew that Buffy wanted nothing to do with him. So asking for the Council's help was out of the question. He also knew that they needed to get out of L.A. Probably out of California all together. The question then became where. Where would be the safest for them to hide from the demonic forces of Wolfram and Hart?  
Only one place came to mind, but it would mean returning to the country he had abandoned so very long ago. And it was following that thought that made him book safe passage for the three of them to Ireland.


	3. Chapter 3

While Spike was soundly asleep, Buffy slipped out for a little bit to check on things in the world outside the Council compound. Being able to rely on the newbies was great. But it still didn't satisfy her quite the way a real fight did. Sitting beside Spike in a makeshift hospital room had done absolutely nothing to remedy her feelings of unease. So, she set off for the nearest cemetery, hoping to find a fight of some kind. She found it, and when she had dusted several freshly raised vampires, she headed back to the compound.  
She was nearly there when her phone rang. She recognized the number vaguely, but couldn't figure out where from. She answered it and was relieved to hear Xander's voice on the other end. They talked for a bit, before Xander revealed that he had gotten word that Angel and company had packed up and left. Though he didn't know where, having witnessed her reaction to secrets before, Xander knew keeping it a secret from her would not end prettily. Buffy thanked him, and they agreed to meet up soon. Hanging up, she walked back to the compound, her thoughts conflicted.


	4. Chapter 4

In the dream, he was back in the alleyway, fighting the dragon and the hordes of demons. Spike tossed and turned fighting off dream foes. He woke up with a scream of agony, feeling like his heart was on fire. He sat up, and was about to call for someone when one of the healers came rushing in, alerted by the beeping of a machine he was connected to.  
"Relax, Spike." She spoke to him in a calming voice, but it did little to help. The machine's alarm rang out, shrill as Spike collapsed back against the bed.  
An hour later he woke up again, feeling extremely weak. His head throbbed as he tried to sit up, but Buffy's hand on his shoulder kept him from doing so.  
"It's okay, Spike. You're safe." Buffy stood and moved to sit by him on the bed. She looked exhausted, and he couldn't remember the last time he had seen her get any sleep.  
"What happened?" He touched his chest, still aching but not quite as bad. She placed her hand over his.  
"It seems that your heart was on the weaker side before you became a vampire. When the Powers-That-Be turned you human, it was in the same shape it was before. It's nothing too serious, just something that needs to be monitored." She smiled at him reassuringly. He smiled back at her.  
"So, that's it? Nothing serious?" Buffy nodded. "Okay, good." He sat up and pulled her towards him, kissing her. She wrapped he fingers in his hair, holding him closer to her for just a moment before she pulled away. For a few seconds, Spike struggled to catch his breath, thinking it odd how for so long he hadn't needed to worry about things so simple as breathing.  
"But that doesn't mean you're quite ready for that, Spike. You still need to rest." She touched his cheek, smiling at him. A moment later, she sighed. "Xander called. Angel, Illyria and Gunn are on the move. He's not sure where they're headed, but it sounds like the Senior Partners could be coming after them. Which leads me to my next concern." Before she could voice it, he held up his hand.  
"You think the Senior Partners will be coming after me. And you want me to go hide." She stared at him for a few seconds before nodding. "Not happening, Love. I may only be human now, but I'm not running away from a fight. Not now, not ever."  
She sighed. They had been having this same argument too many times. He had insisted that being human wouldn't stop him from fighting by her side, but she insisted that he'd be more of a hindrance than a help in a fight. Spike pointed out that the Scoobies had become world class fighters fighting beside her, and that he had way more experience than they did. She knew he had a point, there, but she also knew all too well what it felt like to live in a world where he didn't exist. So, they always reached a sort of impasse.  
Today, she dropped it before the argument could get too heated, knowing he was still too weakened to fight. "For now, let's just agree to disagree, okay? I think you are safe here for now. The spells on the compound should keep the Senior Partners from finding you. Until we can move you somewhere else, I'll get Willow to make sure your room is especially safe." Buffy stood up. But before she could move away, Spike grabbed her hand.  
"Love, you need sleep. You aren't going to do anyone any good if you're so exhausted you fall over. Come here." Buffy turned and smirked at him.  
"Oh, please, Spike. I know you too well. Sleep is the last thing you have on your mind." He tried to look innocent, but she could see it on his face. She sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Will you promise to behave?" He nodded. She laid down beside him and he wrapped his arm around her. She rested her head on his chest and was asleep within moments.  
He watched her sleep for a long time. When Spike dozed off again, it was peaceful and dreamless. He didn't even rouse up when a healer he had never seen came into the room and started casting a spell. 


	5. Chapter 5

Angel and Illyria found a safe place to hide while they nursed Gunn back to health. Angel was careful to avoid the area Slayers. He had a feeling they wouldn't hesitate to take care of him, and he also knew that Buffy wouldn't defend him. So he was careful not to draw attention to himself.  
But attention naturally found him. A young blonde girl named Eilish started following him not long after he got to Ireland.  
She suspected what he was and had heard the rumors of someone of his kind wiping out a whole village several centuries earlier. She had also heard the whispers of the leader of the Slayer's first great love. But Eilish didn't make either of those connections to the tall, brooding man she was following. All she knew was he was a vampire. And every once of Slayer blood in her screamed for her to dust him.  
The problem was, she could never catch him preying on humans to prove what he was. So instead of taking action against him, she continued following him. Eilish never once became aware of Illyria or Gunn.  
But the longer she watched him, the more she saw something…different about the tall vampire. She couldn't put her finger on it though. The more she watched him, the more it was obvious. Something about him was very different from the other vampires she had fought.  
The more she watched him, the more she wanted to know what exactly the difference was. What made him less willing to attack the humans in the area? Since she had never had much contact with the Watcher's Council, she had no clue about Angel's soul. All she knew was she found the vampire captivating. So she continued following him, forgetting all about the need to stake him.


	6. Chapter 6

He woke up, feeling stiff and sore. One arm was wrapped around a beautiful blonde girl. She smiled in her sleep. Looking at her, he realized he couldn't remember her name…or anything about him…or for that matter, anything about himself. He struggled, trying to get a grasp on anything. As he did, he started breathing hard. His heart started racing.  
Buffy woke up to the alarms of the heart machine. Panicked she studied his face. "Spike, relax. Take a deep breath." He shook his head, unable to talk. Buffy rushed out of the room to find one of the healers, or Willow.  
He struggled to stand, but finally managed to get out of the bed. What was it she had called him? Spike? It sounded weird, like it didn't quite belong as a name. Let alone, his name. Something told him he needed to get out. He wasn't sure why, but he felt trapped. As that feeling grew, so did the pressure in his chest. It became harder to breathe. He left the room, rushing down a hallway. Voices came from somewhere behind him, but he ignored them. He moved toward the door, finding it easier to walk as long as he focused on the door. His chest still ached, but he pushed that aside for the moment.  
When he got outside, he hit the sunlight and unconsciously flinched away from it, but didn't understand why. He stuck to the shadows, making his way away from the compound.  
It took Buffy all of five minutes to realize he wasn't in the compound anymore. She followed his trail to an alleyway, and found him unconscious. Before she could move him, or help him in any way, a tall man stepped out of the shadows and started towards them. Buffy crouched in front of Spike's unconscious body. 


	7. Chapter 7

Gunn's condition was not improving. Angel had no clue how to help him. So he took a risk. Knowing they'd have to move him, Angel reached out to the blonde Slayer following him, for help. He doubted she would, but the alternative, watching his friend die while Angel sat by helplessly, was unimaginable to him. He had already lost too many people he cared about. And what was the worst thing that could happen? She could dust him. But maybe Illyria could help Gunn get help then.  
So, he met with the girl in private one night as he was just coming back from gathering supplies. She looked shocked when he turned and motioned for her to follow him. But she did it. She followed him to a dark alleyway.  
Close up, the resemblance between Eilish and another Slayer would have taken his breath away if he had breath. But he needed her help, so he pushed those feelings aside before they could bubble up and overcome him, as they threatened to do.  
"I know you don't know me. And I know you know what I am. But I have a friend who needs medical help. And without your help, I won't be able to help him." He told her about Gunn and how he had gotten so many injuries. She listened, hearing him out. When he had finished, she knew who he was.  
"You're Angel, aren't you?" Angel nodded, studying her face. "When I received my…uh…powers, I received memories too. Some of them contained you and the Slayer called Buffy. My Watcher explained who she was and all."  
Angel looked taken aback as she told him the things she knew. He sighed. "You should know that Buffy and the Council are not big fans of mine. Considering I was working for Wolfram and Hart. I cannot blame them for thinking I had turned evil again, but I swear I haven't. Now, all I'm trying to do is help my friend. Please. Help us." Angel turned and continued into the abandoned restaurant they had been staying in. Eilish followed him in.  
What Angel wasn't aware of was that, before Buffy and Willow had done the spell to Call all of the Potentials and make them full Slayers, Eilish had been studying medicine. She had been just about to graduate when the nightmares started. It took her a few weeks to learn to not repeat the things she saw, because those around her began to think that the pressures had driven her mad. In a short timeframe, she lost everyone important to her.  
But because of her studies, she knew exactly how to help Gunn. So Eilish set about helping Gunn, but keeping an eye on the others. She was still unsure about Angel and the girl with blue hair and blue tinted skin.  
It turned out he had an infection in some of his wounds. She would need to gather more supplies before she could help them. In the meantime, she would have to tell somebody they were here, and decided to go to the area squad leader, Shannon.

Buffy stared at the man, trying to place why he looked familiar, but she couldn't figure it out.  
"Step aside, Slayer. Our conflict with William Pratt has nothing to do with you. There is no need for you to get hurt." The man stood a few feet away, confident and watching the two of them. Buffy never so much as moved from Spike, as she still tried to place the mysterious man.  
"Whatever it is you want with him, you cannot have it. You might as well leave now, because I'm not going anywhere." While she was talking, Spike had regained consciousness and gotten to his feet.  
"I'll go." He spoke quietly, focusing on her, hoping something about her would spark a memory. But it didn't happen. All he knew was that he wouldn't let her get hurt.  
Buffy turned and glared at him. "Absolutely not. I am not letting you go with them, Spike." Buffy studied his face, and she quickly realized something was off. "Spike, what's wrong?"  
He sighed. "Right now, it doesn't matter. But I'll go with the man." He raised his voice and looked past her. "As long as no one else gets hurt. You will not touch her. Understand?" The man glared at him, but eventually nodded.  
"As long as you come with us and fulfill the terms of Angel's agreement with the Senior Partners, there is no reason for anyone else to get hurt." The man stepped forward. Buffy glared at him.  
"Do not take another step. I do not care who you are. You will not touch him." She moved, getting ready to fight. The man laughed at her.  
"Do you really think you can fight me, little girl? You're Slayer abilities are nothing compared to the powers the Senior Partners of Wolfram and Hart possess. You cannot win against us." His confident smile reminded her so much of someone…she fought to place it and it suddenly occurred to her. Something about the man reminded her of the Mayor from Sunnydale. She couldn't quite put her finger on exactly what it was but she was sure the resemblance was there.  
The next thing she knew, something had hit Buffy on the head with something. Spike watched as she fell to the ground, unconscious. Hands grabbed him, and he struggled against them. But his human muscles were not as adept at fighting and the hands overpowered him quickly.


	8. Chapter 8

Shannon and Eilish sat down and discussed everything Angel had told her. Shannon, who had spent time living in Buffy's house that last year in Sunnydale, had heard tales of Angel and what he had meant to Buffy. She knew that they needed to contact the Council. Angel had practically begged Eilish not to take it to the Council, but Shannon knew she had little choice in the matter.  
She called the Council headquarters and had to wait to speak with Giles. She knew it was important to talk directly to Giles, not to one of the other newer Slayers or the even newer Watchers-in-training. But when Giles answered the phone, it was obvious in his tone that something big was going down.  
"The vampire known as Angel and two of his team are currently in my territory. One of the Slayers in the area has been tracking him. He has an injured companion. I believe his name is Gunn. His injuries are fairly grave. But I might be able to offer him some assistance. If you are not against it?" Giles explained that something had happened to Buffy.

They had found Buffy about half an hour after the man who might have been the former Mayor of Sunnydale had taken Spike. She was unconscious, but her head wound wasn't nearly bad enough to keep her unconscious. It was determined, then, that something else had been done to her. But the healers employed by the Council had no idea just what. They did tests. All kinds of tests. But nothing seemed to help. And nothing seemed able to wake her up.  
So, as Giles was explaining their current situation to Shannon, others were moving. Xander and Faith were already on their way to England, planning to meet with Willow. They would figure out what had happened to Buffy, and where Spike had gone.  
While that was happening, the newbie Slayers were fighting. Darkness and the demons it brought with it had surged in numbers. They were by no means a small squad, especially compared to ones in places that weren't near a Hellmouth or other hotbed of demony activity, but they weren't that large either and they were struggling to keep up with all the reports.  
Giles instructed Shannon to keep an eye on Angel, but to help him if she could. And to fill him in on the details of what was happening. Giles knew it had something to do with the Senior Partners, though he wasn't ready to reveal that information and cause panic. So he chose his words very carefully. "Shannon, you must be careful. Angel is not to be fully trusted. But I fear he is the only one who can help us with this current problem." Shannon agreed to be cautious, but to help Angel if she could. After hanging up, she relayed the decision to Eilish, who was only too happy to help. So Shannon also warned the young girl to be careful. Shannon knew too well what would happen if Eilish lost her heart to the mopey vampire.


	9. Chapter 9

He woke up somewhere cold. Shivering, he fought to push aside the fear and pain and focus on something else. The girl had called him Spike, but the man had called him William. So, he focused on trying to puzzle out which was his name. He struggled, trying to connect either one to a memory, and continued to come up empty. But the good thing was, the effort took his mind off of what was going on.  
All around him, shadows moved. He caught glimpses that were too gruesome for his mind to cope with. The shadows moved closer to him and they started doing…stuff to him. Some of them reached out with long claws, raking them over his skin. Others simply touched him. And that was worse. The ones that just touched him caused pain so intense he saw red. His skin burned from the frost that they left behind.  
They moved away from him, darting several feet away and quickly darting back to him. That was when he noticed the other presence in the room. A towering mass was chained up on the other side. It was clearly some type of reptile, but his limited experience since he had woken up with the amnesia was no help identifying it. The creature had obviously been tormented as well. Deep gashes and sores covered its body.  
At the moment, the shadows, whatever they were, seemed utterly distracted by him. And suddenly, he felt horrible. A sense of complete and utter exhaustion came over him. He either fell asleep, or lost consciousness. He wasn't even sure which.  
Some time later, he woke up. The shadow creatures were gone, and the reptilian creature was watching him with shining, blood red eyes. As he watched it, a memory came through, vague and dim, but somehow there nonetheless.  
He remembered standing beside three other people. It was raining. Thousands of creatures were coming at them. Spike knew it wasn't very likely that they'd all survive the night, and as the dragon appeared, their chances of getting out of this battle dwindled.  
The tall man near him started out fighting the dragon, but something had changed. The dragon suddenly focused on Spike, who had been fighting to keep the oncoming horde.  
As quickly as the memory had surfaced, it was gone again, and he was left shivering. He stared at the dragon, in fear. But something about it had changed. It looked pathetic…as pathetic as he was sure he looked. He sighed and managed to move a bit closer. The dragon raised its head to look at him closer. Suddenly, a voice came out of nowhere, and he had the distinct impression that he wasn't actually hearing it with his ears.  
_ You. I recognize you. You were the vampire my masters sent me after. The one I could not kill. The one whose escape caused the masters to punish me._  
Somehow, he knew the voice belonged to the dragon. He reached out, stretching the chains binding his wrists as tightly as he could. His hand rested in front of the dragon's snout. The dragon moved closer to him.  
_ The masters will not kill you. They will use you instead. But I know of a way out. If you promise to take me with you, I can…_  
As the shadows reappeared, the voice stopped. He moved away from the dragon hurriedly. The shadows moved toward him again, and before they attacked, he managed to catch the dragon's eye again and nod briefly.  
:~:~:~:

"We need to figure out how to break the spell that is keeping Buffy unconscious. I have no clue even where to start. I haven't ever heard of this sort of spell, except in fairytales of course. The Coven seemed just as confused by it as I am." Willow and Xander sat close by each other. Xander reached out and took her hand.  
"Aw Will, it'll be all right. we'll figure it out. How many times has it seemed like we couldn't possibly win? And we have. As long as we stick together. The best witches in the world are working to help Buff. I'm sure they'll think of something. In the meantime, what do we know about the force that's behind it?" She groaned.  
"Not enough. We have Wes' files on the Senior Partners, but they don't go into too much detail. I think he might have been afraid that they knew he was taking notes on them. We have some information from other sources, but it still doesn't amount to much. And we aren't positive that they are actually behind what's going on with Buffy. Though, to me, they are the most logical explanation." She sighed heavily and rested her head on the table in front of her. "Who knew I'd one day grow to miss the simplicity of Sunnydale?" Xander smiled slightly. He understood all too well what she meant.  
"So let's try to narrow it down. Didn't Andrew say something about Spike and Angel going to Italy on official Wolfram and Hart business? Maybe there's a stronghold or something there, and we can figure out what to do from there?" Willow looked up at him.  
"You do realize that you are suggesting we go to Italy and…what? Walk into the headquarters of a demonic law office and demand to know what they did to Buffy? Do you realize how crazy that sounds?" But even as she spoke, Willow was grinning. Desperate times called for drastic measures, after all. And these were pretty desperate times. With Buffy out of the pictures, it was up to the newer Slayers to fight. And truthfully, they weren't entirely prepared for an all out war if that was what it came to.  
"We'll fight them." Xander shrugged. "It's what we do, Will. We will do everything we can to help Buffy." Willow took Xander's hand and squeezed it gently. She nodded, knowing they had to try, anyway.


	10. Chapter 10

Buffy knew what she was seeing wasn't real. She wasn't sure how she knew, but something about the scene felt off. After all the times that Anya had told them about the other worlds wishes created, something must have managed to stick. Because something told Buffy this wasn't Earth.  
There wasn't shrimp everywhere. But something definitely felt off. She recognized where she was. She was near the graveyard in Sunnydale where Spike's crypt had once been.  
Buffy walked to the cemetery, knowing the familiarity would help. But there was nothing familiar about the cemetery she found herself in. The graveyard had never been what anyone would call empty, but this version of the graveyard had many more headstones and crypts. She walked among them, keeping an eye out for anyone following her.  
That was when she happened to notice the names of some of the nearby tombstones. Her heart sank. Among the ones she recognized were ones she never hoped to see written on tombstones: Willow Rosenberg, Alexander 'Xander' Harris, and Rupert Giles. Buffy sank to the ground in front of Willow's headstone, fighting back tears and losing.  
A sudden noise broke her sadness. She spun, ready to attack whomever was coming up behind her, she recognized the gaunt figure. Clearly, someone had been abusing the vampire who stood in front of her. As Angel fell to his knees, she rushed over to him. He looked up at her, deep sadness in his eyes.  
"You're not real." His voice came out rough. His body went limp as Angel passed out. Sighing, Buffy touched his cheek.

Back on Earth, Angel and Eilish were tending to Gunn's wounds. Already, he was showing signs of improvement. His fever had broken, thanks to the antibiotics that Shannon had managed to procure.  
"I think he's out of the worst of it now. Thank you, Eilish." Angel looked up at the blonde girl, graciously. The girl grinned at him, and Angel was struck by a memory of Buffy. Eilish didn't look that much like the blonde girl Angel had fallen in love with, but there was definitely a strong resemblance.  
"You know, I saw you once. From a distance, and as a quick glance." Eilish was still helping Gunn to eat a bowl of soup, but she smirked slightly as she spoke. Angel looked at her vaguely. "It was a few months back. You were at a bar with a blonde guy. In Rome. I was hired to pretend to be the last Chosen Slayer."  
Angel grimaced as the puzzle pieces fell into place in his mind. "So you're the one who was with the Immortal?" He fought back a flash of anger and jealousy that didn't make sense to him. He had just met her after all. Why should he be jealous?  
"I wasn't with the Immortal in the way you think. It was a cover. He wanted her, and the head of the Watcher's Council, someone I think called Giles, knew she wouldn't be safe. Unless someone found out what he wanted. So I was asked to pretend to be her for a few months." She shrugged. "All things considered, it was pretty easy. The hard part was getting away from him when the time was up. He's been helping a group on demonic powers in Italy."  
Angel sighed. "He's working with Wolfram and Hart. The demonic law firm I was trying to bring down. They turned Los Angeles into a war zone, bringing Hell to Earth to destroy us." He glanced at Gunn, who had fallen asleep while they spoke. Then, he glanced at Illyria, who had seemed deeply unhappy since they had left L.A. "And they pretty nearly succeeded."  
Eilish's phone went off right then, and she stepped away from him to answer it. Angel was very careful not to show it, but he could hear what was being said on the other end.  
"We need to move. Fast. The others, in England, think Spike is being held in Italy. Since you lived there for several months, you're our best bet for recovering him safely. Andrew's squad will meet us there." Eilish agreed, and asked what Shannon thought about recruiting Angel and Illyria to help. "If they're willing, we could use the help. I'll make sure Gunn is taken care of if it helps convince them to join us." Eilish agreed to ask and hung up.


	11. Chapter 11

Spike came to, aware once more of intense pain. The dragon was watching him again, and he felt its presence against his mind again.  
"_Are you well enough to move?_" Spike nodded his head. "_Good. Because soon, your companions and they're friends will be here. We will make our escape at that moment._" Again, Spike nodded. Then, he closed his eyes. Some memory was fighting its way back.  
_ He was alone. Somewhere dark and cold. But the cold didn't affect him. Everything hurt. Well, he supposed, that was to be expected when one took on a Hell Goddess. Still, he'd rather have the pain than see HER upset. The mere thought of seeing her upset, of seeing the Bit hurt, made him willing to stand up to the Hell God, Glory._

_ The Buffy-bot threw open the door and moved towards him. "Spike! You're covered in sexy wounds!" Painfully, Spike sat up, looking up at Buffy's likeness.  
"Yeah? I feel real sexy. Where you been?"  
"I fell down and got confused. Willow fixed me. She's gay." He looked at her in confusion, studying the robot's face.  
"Will fixed you? I thought they'd melt you down to scrap."  
"They were confused too." She smiled at him. "Do you want to ravage me now?"  
His voice was weak even to his own ears. "Give us a minute. Got some bones need mending."_

_ She watched him. If he had been paying attention, he might have noticed something different about her confusion, but at the moment, his pain distracted him as she spoke again. "Why did you let that Glory hurt you?"  
"She wanted to know who the Key was."  
"I can tell her!" The bot spun and started towards the crypt door. " Then you won't-"  
"No!" He began to cough violently. The action made his sides hurt, and he had to take a moment to gather the energy to speak again. "You can't ever…Glory never finds out." The not turned back to him, confused again.  
"Why?"  
He spoke quietly, his voice low. " 'Cause Buffy ... the other, not so pleasant Buffy ... anything happened to Dawn, it'd destroy her. I couldn't live, her bein' in that much pain. Let Glory kill me first. Nearly bloody did." The Buffy-bot frowned at him, then leaned in to kiss him. Spike started to kiss her back, until he realized that it was actually Buffy, not the Bot. He pulled away, studying her face in amazement.  
_ The memory broke as soon as it came, but he was left feeling a hopefulness he hadn't been able to summon since he had woken up without his memories. He still couldn't remember exactly who Buffy was, or what they had been through, but he clung to the memory as if it was a life-raft.


	12. Chapter 12

Buffy struggled, but managed to get Angel into the crypt that, back on Earth, Spike had used. Only, here, it wasn't empty. Tombs sat inside, the lids slightly ajar, revealing the remains of a man and woman. Buffy didn't even have a stake to defend herself, so she went back outside to find a tree branch to use, just in case.  
Angel came to, morphed into his vamp face by an intense hunger. Clearly, he hadn't been eating well. She managed to restrain him. "So what happened here? Why are Willow, Xander and Giles dead?" Angel looked up at her, guilt in his eyes.  
"Because I couldn't save you…I couldn't give you the breath you needed after the Master killed you. Xander had taken off after him. If he had been there, if I hadn't been…a monster, you'd still be alive." He chuckled, but it was a cold sound, lacking any true amusement or joy. "It just figures that I'd see you now. Now, when I've lost my mind. I mean, that has to be it, right? The Master's torment has finally made me snap?" Again, he chuckled.  
"Angel, look at me." She moved closer to him, reaching out to touch his cheek. He flinched back for a moment, until something clicked in his mind. He realized that she was corporeal. And if she was, that must mean she wasn't a hallucination. "I am real. I'm just not from…here. Where I'm from, we beat the Master." She sighed. "Heck, we beat six other near-apocalypse type situations after that in Sunnnydale alone." She knelt down in front of him.  
"I have no idea how to get home, but I know that I need to find a way. Me being here cannot be good." Mentally, she added that she knew Spike was in danger. And that he'd need her help. "People need me back home. Please, Angel. Help me."  
Slowly, he looked up at her, and nodded. "I will do what I can." As soon as he had spoke, the door of the crypt was thrown open, and Spike grinned at Angel, maliciously. "There you are, Grand Sire. Told you that you could not hide long. And who is this?" Spike glanced at Buffy, and quickly looked away. But in that moment, Buffy noticed something odd about the way he looked in her direction. It was almost as though he recognized her. Angel stood up, shakily, and pushed Buffy behind him.  
"Spike. 'Bout time you showed up. Was beginning to think William the Bloody had lost his edge." Angel put all his energy into sneering at Spike, but Buffy could see he was near to passing out. She knew her memories of Spike were somewhat jaded, but she was sure he wouldn't hesitate to harm her to get to Angel. But part of her rebelled against fighting Spike. After all, on Earth, she had grown to love him.  
When Angel's knees buckled, she was ready. She helped him lean against the wall and turned towards Spike. "Let me guess: you need him to save Dru?" Spike glared at her. "Let me tell you something. I've been there. Done that. She leaves you anyway, Spike."  
He growled at her. "Hold your tongue, little girl. You! You…Slayers! You're all the same! Self-righteous little girls, fighting a war much bigger than yourselves. You keep coming here, hoping to kill the Master. But none of you have even gotten close." He rushed towards her, and started to grab her, but stopped short, studying her face.  
"Who are you?" He shook his head, trying to clear it of confusion. "I feel like I know you somehow." Buffy sighed, pressing her back to the crypt wall, but looking up at him.  
"I'm not from here. You don't know me. But I know you. I know a lot about William Pratt, about William the Bloody and Spike." She sighed heavily. She just wanted to go home, back to her Spike. Back to a world where Willow and the others were safe.  
Spike touched her cheek. They were so distracted, that neither one of them saw Angel recover, stand up and walk slowly towards them. Buffy saw the movement, and stepped around Spike, blocking Angel's approach. "You promised to help me get home, right?" Angel nodded, looking confused. "Instead of focusing on a feud that has lasted almost a century, then, help me. Please." She looked between them. Slowly, glaring at each other, both vampires nodded. 


	13. Chapter 13

Willow had spent the better part of a day talking with the healers and leaders of the Devon Coven. Together, they had reached the conclusion that the spell Buffy was under was similar to the ones written in fairytales. After all, as they had proven time and again in Sunnydale, things from myths and fairytales were often linked to truth.  
If Buffy was under a spell similar to Sleeping Beauty or Snow White, then only her one true love could break the spell. But the question was: who was it that Buffy was meant to be with. After all, Buffy and Angel's love had broken a curse. But it was Spike's love for her that had been responsible for turning him human again.  
So, with the others in the Coven, Willow formed a plan. First, they would rescue Spike. Who knew what the Senior Partners were doing to him. Second, both Angel and Spike would need to come to England. They'd both have to try to break the spell. It was the only way anyone could think of. Which meant that Willow and Xander would need to track Spike down as soon as possible.  
Following some leads, they figured out that the most possible location for him was in Italy. When Angel and the others had started a war against Wolfram and Hart, the Senior Partners had seen that they were fighting a losing battle in L.A. So, they had retreated to Italy, to their headquarters there.  
The only thing now was getting Spike out of their grasp safely. His newly human body lacked in the near-invincibility he had once had. Willow knew Spike wouldn't have too long.  
The plan was to meet Andrew's squad as soon as they landed in Italy. From there, they would talk to the young Slayer who had pretended for months to be Buffy to keep some big bad named the Immortal off of her trail.  
Dawn threw a fit when Willow and Xander insisted she stay behind. Willow knew Dawn could fight. After all, she had seen proof of it. But someone needed to stay with Buffy just to be on the safe side.  
In the end, she grudgingly agreed to stay behind. The others left for Italy, taking a few of the England squad with them, but making sure there was enough at the compound in case there was an attack. They didn't know just who they would meet in Italy. Or who would come to their aid.

:~:~:~:

"So the Scoobies think the Senior Partners got to Spike. But he's human now?" Angel was pacing, thinking that it was sort of unfair that William the Bloody had ended up reaping the effects of the Shanshu Prophecy. "This just isn't right." He sighed, sitting down, and resting hi head in his hands. Eilish moved to his side, kneeling beside him.  
"Look, I don't know the history between you and this…Spike or whatever his name is. But I do know that you and Buffy had something special. I've heard the rumors. And from what Shannon said, Giles is pretty worried about her. So I know you'll help her. Even if that means going to help Spike." She stood up. "Look, I'm going to go get my stuff. If you want to help us, meet me here." She handed him a piece of paper with an address on it. "Shannon has arranged for area witches to teleport us into the area of the Italian squad. Their Watcher, Andrew will help us go over the plan with the Italy Squad Leader, Violet." She turned and left him alone. Illyria came towards him.  
"I am going." As she spoke, her body morphed, taking on more of a resemblance to Fred than she normally wore. As Angel looked up at her, he knew her motivation. Fred and Spike had developed an interesting working relationship. Some might have even called it a friendship. After the events of the battle in L.A, Angel had noticed something different about Illyria. The more he thought about it, she seemed more human than she had before.  
With a sigh, Angel nodded. "Okay. We'll go save Captain Peroxide and help Buffy and the Scoobies."  
They met Eilish and Shannon at the address Eilish had given him. A group of younger girls gathered around them, along with a group of older witches. As the spell started, Angel was aware of a falling sensation. He stumbled, caught his balance, and found himself standing in a room in the Italian Slayer headquarters.  
Before he could adjust and take in his surroundings, a fist came out of seemingly nowhere and hit him in the cheek. He spun and found himself face to face with a glaring Riley. And the only thing he could think to say? "How's that testosterone poisoning coming along, Riley?"


	14. Chapter 14

Spike was still clinging to the memory when the shadows returned. As they started tormenting him, the memory of Buffy became even more of a lifeline. But then, sometime during the torment, another memory surfaced. This one was stronger, and more emotional.  
_ He remembered getting to the top of the tower. Dawn was up there, and all he knew was he had to save her. But 'Doc' stood in his way. Since Glory had been distracted, Doc had taken it on himself to finish the ritual. They fought, and the last thing Spike remembered was falling. _  
_ The next thing he knew, he was on the ground. Bones had broken in the fall. But that wasn't the worst of it. He could tell, from the utter silence that something had happened. He managed to stand up and started over to where the others were gathering. And that was when he saw her. Buffy's crumpled form lay among the wreckage._  
_ Suddenly, he didn't have the strength to keep himself standing. Sobs racked his body. She was gone. His mind tried and failed to make sense of it._  
_ He was aware at some point, that the Watcher and the human boy moved her body. But they made it clear that he wasn't welcome around them. _  
_ Spike had failed. He hadn't protected Dawn well enough, and because of it, Buffy had been forced to jump. Spike gathered his strength and found somewhere out of the sunlight. He knew he'd never make it back to his crypt. _  
_ So Spike found a dark place to hideout. But nothing he could do would drive the image from his mind. He quickly learned that his chosen hiding spot wasn't entirely sun-proof. _  
_ His shoulder burst into flame, and Spike couldn't hold back the scream. He patted it out, stood and moved farther into the shadows. The pain in his chest came again. _  
_ As soon as the sun was down, he headed for the demon bar in town. He was looking for a fight and for a drink. Make that plural: drinks. Enough to completely forget what had happened. But while cutting through one of the small cemeteries, he stumbled upon it. Buffy's headstone, set back away from any of the others, where no one would be likely to see it. Dawn was curled up in front of it, her cheeks red from crying. She was asleep, but her body moved restlessly. _  
_ Sighing, and remembering his promise, Spike scooped Dawn's sleeping form up and started carrying her home. At some point, she woke up and looked up at him. Tears streamed down her cheeks again. He stopped._  
_ "It's okay, Bit. You're safe." She shook her head. _  
_ "It's not okay. She's gone, Spike. It'll never be right again." Dawn buried her face in his shirt and cried. He stopped, holding her close._  
_ "I'm sorry Dawn. I would give anything to bring her back. I'd…God, I'd trade places with her if I could." He felt tears in his own eyes, and blinked furiously to keep them from falling. He knew he'd do anything to keep his promise, to keep her safe._  
Spike snapped out of the memory suddenly. Tears were streaming down his face and his heart ached. The shadows had gone again, but judging by the wounds to his arms and legs, they hadn't been gone very long. He felt weak. Closing his eyes, he tried to piece together the memory, to figure it out, but it had faded as quickly as it came. All that remained of it was the deep and utter sadness it had brought with it.  
:~:~:~:


	15. Chapter 15

Buffy sighed. "I am aware that asking the two of you to get along is like asking a tiger to change its stripes. But the thing is, I sort of have this feeling…like I need both of you to help me." She sighed, but before she could say anything else to convince them, the crypt door was thrown open once more.  
Spike and Angel both spun around as Dru came slinking in to the crypt. Spike half-smiled. "Dru, pet. I told you to wait outside."  
Dru smiled up at him. "Spike, I got bored. And I see you found Angel."  
"Dear one, you should be resting. You aren't well." Spike moved to her side and wrapped an arm around Dru's waist. "Come on, Pet. Let's get you out of here. We'll find a way to convince Angel to help us later."  
Dru pouted. "I don't want to leave without getting what we came for." Dru stared at Angel, then noticed Buffy standing behind him. "Oh. There's a Slayer in our midst. Goodie!" Dru was nearly jumping up and down with glee.  
"Love, she's not what she seems. She is…wrong." Spike glanced at Buffy, catching her eye. Something in his eyes made her realize that he wasn't saying it in a mean way, but more to distract Dru.  
Buffy inclined her head ever so slightly, to let him know she understood, but to be careful not to let Dru see.  
"But, Spike. You could still easily take care of her, my love." She stuck out her lip, in a childish manner.  
"Come on, pet. We'll see them again soon." He took her hand, pressing it to her lips for a moment before pulling her towards the door.  
Buffy sighed heavily. Angel slowly turned to look at her, still obviously pained. "Well, that went well." Right after he spoke, Angel collapsed, completely unconscious. Buffy moved to make sure he didn't hit the floor. As soon as she touched him, it was obvious he was burning up.  
The only time she remembered him being this hot was when Faith had poisoned him. Buffy shuddered thinking about how sick he had been at the time. Though she had moved on, had given her heart to Spike, the memory still stirred up pain when she thought how close Angel had come to dying…again.

Riley glared at Angel for a moment. Violet moved forward to touch Riley's shoulder and he turned to her. The smile on his face gave it away. Willow grinned.  
"When did this start?" Riley grinned at her/ He shrugged.  
"A few weeks after we left Sunnydale last time, we were attacked. We were here, and fighting a group of demons. Sam was killed, and I was pretty badly hurt. Vi and the others sort of…nursed me back to health."  
Willow nodded. Somehow, she had thought Vi would have had a connection with Riley. Angel cleared his throat.  
"Can we get back to the plan to rescue Captain Peroxide? The sooner we do, the sooner Captain Cardboard and I can be rid of each other."  
"Yeah, the sooner Captain Forehead is gone, the better." Riley grinned at Vi. "So, here's the plan." They spent the next few hours going over plans.  
"So we hit them with everything we have. We should be able to get him out easy enough. As long as it's a surprise attack we could be successful." Riley looked around the room at the Slayers and humans around him. He hoped that he was actually telling the truth.  
"Okay, girls. Make sure we're well prepared for this. We're going to need plenty of weapons." Vi started making preparations with the other Slayers.


	16. Chapter 16

Spike heard something. The noise was loud, but hard to make out exactly what it was. The dragon's head was tilted to one side, as it was listening.  
"They're coming for you. Your friends." The dragon slowly stood up. "Can you move?"  
Spike nodded, struggling to his feet. He swayed a bit, but managed to catch his balance. His hands were tied together, but the dragon used a talon to cut the ropes free.  
"If it is easier, I could carry you. We need to hurry. Your companions can only distract the guards for a little while." Spike nodded, and started to climb on. But he only made it halfway when the shadows came back.  
"Hurry!" Spike spoke more to himself than the dragon. He managed to climb the rest of the way up, and the dragon took off, running at the cell door, which was closed. The impact of the dragon's body striking it shattered the door. The dragon bolted into the hallway, leaving the shadows behind.  
They headed down the hall, the dragon let out a loud roar. It shook the walls around them. Spike heard someone in the distance let out a bellow as they fought against an unseen foe.  
Spike and the dragon started in the direction of the sounds of battle. They came upon a ragtag group of fighters. Some of them vaguely looked familiar. But Spike couldn't figure out why.  
The group was fighting demons of all kinds, even some humanoid in appearance. The dragon quickly took out some of the tougher demons, helping to even the numbers.  
Angel looked up, seeing the monstrous mass of the dragon. It took him a few moments to spot Spike, injured, but clinging to the dragon's back. He hesitated for a moment, recognizing the dragon as the one that had attacked in L.A. But in the end, he didn't attack it. Instead, he gathered the group and herded them towards the doorway again.  
"Getting out of here is going to be a lot harder than getting in was." Vi's voice was shaky and she was keeping a hand pressed to one side. The others looked as exhausted and injured as she did. Angel shook his head and turned to Illyria. She took point, leading the group.  
"Spike, can you and the dragon keep things off our back?" Angel glanced up at him. Spike raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out who the tall man with the large forehead was, but nodded.  
They started forward, Illyria and the Slayers heading off any attackers from the front, Spike, the dragon, and Angel keeping things from sneaking up behind them. Slowly, they made their way out of the Wolfram and Hart catacombs. The demons and creatures fought hard and long, but the group managed to make their way through to where Xander and Willow were waiting. Willow was planning on casting a spell on the group to make it harder to find them, but she found it nearly impossible to hide the dragon. At some point, Spike's injuries had gotten the best of him, and he had passed out. Somehow, he had stayed on the dragon's back, but Willow lowered him down, as gently as she could using a spell.  
Once he was off of the dragon, it disappeared. Not like it took off; one moment it was there, and the next it was gone. With the dragon vanished, Willow was able to complete the spell and make it easier for everyone to get safely away. They headed to one of the safe houses Andrew had set up nearby, and Willow started tending to the wounded. Vi had a deep gash to her side, but was already recovering. Spike's wounds were, surprisingly, the more worrisome to Willow.  
It wasn't that they were particularly bad. It was the sheer number of them. Cuts and scrapes, bruises and gashes covered nearly every inch of bare skin, and in places, his clothes had been ripped. She tended to them, thinking how odd it was. Things sure had changed in the past few years. A small smile crept across her face.  
Spike woke up while she was cleaning one particularly bad wound. His eyes fluttered open, and his eyes studied her face. "Red, why are you the one helping me? Where's Buffy?"  
Willow sighed. "After you took off, best we can tell, she followed you. Not sure exactly why you took off, but can I just say how stupid that was?" Spike glared at her, but didn't retort back. "Well, we don't know just what happened, but we suspect the Senior Partners put some sort of spell on Buffy. She…she's sort of in a type of coma. Somewhat like the kind certain princesses slipped into in fairytales."  
Spike studied her face. Seeing that she clearly wasn't joking he sighed heavily. "So fix it."  
"I can't. Nothing we've tried has had any affect. But…" Willow trailed off, biting her lip.  
"You and your witchy friends have a theory. And let me guess? It goes something like 'Only true love's kiss can break the spell'? And you can't be sure whom Buffy's true love is?" Willow nodded. Spike slowly sat up. "Bloody hell. I almost wish I still had amnesia." He sighed. She looked at him, confused.  
"When did you have amnesia?" Spike shook his head.  
"See above, idiotic running from Slayer compound? That was because I had no idea who I was, let alone where. So, like a prat, I took off." He sighed heavily. "I wish I had known…It's my fault once again, that she is hurt." His whole body shuddered.  
"Whoa, Spike. Calm down. No one is blaming you, for once. The Senior Partners would have found a way to get to you. No matter what. And knowing Buffy, knowing how she was after you…died in Sunnydale, she would have stood between you and just about anything." Willow sighed. "As soon as it is safe, we will head back to London. Then, we will see if you can help her." Willow headed for the door, but turned before she stepped through it. "For the record, I'd be willing to bet that you're the one who can help her. But you need sleep first." Without another word, she left the room.  
Spike smiled at the door. He almost couldn't believe he had heard her correctly. Was it possible that she had just said she basically approved of him being with the Slayer? He fell asleep, smiling, and thinking of Buffy.


	17. Chapter 17

Buffy knelt over Angel. As she touched his forehead, he mumbled something unintelligible. She sighed. "This is just great. I'm no closer to getting home."  
Angel moved, regaining consciousness, but still out of it. Buffy touched his cheek again, and he smiled slightly. "I must be delusional, but I don't want to snap out of it."  
Buffy couldn't help the small smile that appeared briefly. "It's not a hallucination. Though you are sick." She sighed again. "I think you need to start explaining." Angel struggled to sit up, carefully.  
"I have been fighting the Master's army of vampires for…I've lost track of how long exactly. A few months after you…or after the Buffy from this world died, another Slayer, named Kendra came to town. She was killed before the end of her first week here. After that, there was a Slayer named Faith. She came to town, fought for months, but eventually, the Master's forces took her out. They turned her."  
Buffy closed her eyes. "So she's helping him? Let me fill in the rest? You're against the Master, so she used a very rare poison. The only one known to affect vampires. And the only cure is a Slayer's blood. Right?" Angel studied her face, but slowly nodded.  
"How did you know?" His voice came out hoarse and weak.  
"Because, in my world, she used the same trick to distract me while her employer, the Mayor, put into motion events that led to him being an evil, snakey demon thing." She took a breath, trying to push the memories from her mind. "In the end, we saved the Angel from my world. Just barely. And we took out the Mayor too."  
He shuddered. As Buffy touched his forehead again, she could feel that his fever was worse. He closed his eyes. "So how exactly did you save that version of me?"  
Buffy bit her lip. "I…uh…" She shook her head. "I tried to kill Faith. When that didn't work, I let him drink my blood." The memory stirred.  
She remembered the pain, but a sense of pleasure, knowing she was helping someone she loved very deeply. This was the only way she could think of to help him. The memory brought back all the emotions she had felt in that moment, and then in the moment she watched him leave.  
Something, some small noise from outside, shook her from her reverie. Spike came back into the crypt. If he had required breath, Buffy would have said he should stop to catch his breath a moment. As it was, his panicked expression told her something was up. She stood up as he spoke.  
"The Master is sending a group of his minions this way. You have to get out of here, Slayer. Now." Spike stepped over Angel, basically ignoring him.  
Buffy shook her head, and glanced at Angel. "We have to help Angel. If the Master gets a hold of him, he will die, Spike. He's been poisoned." Spike nodded, having already known of this. He turned and surprised Buffy by helping Angel up.  
"Let's go, Captain Forehead. The sooner we get out of here, the easier it'll be to keep the Slayer safe."  
Buffy smirked ever so slightly. She shook her head a moment before taking Angel's arm and helping Spike carry him from the crypt. As soon as they got outside, they realized they were already too late. The Master's vampire forces stood outside the crypt, at the head of them stood Faith.


	18. Chapter 18

Spike woke up, struggled to stand up, and went to find Willow and the others. He found Willow meditating in a room by herself. Instead of interrupting, as he once would have, he quietly sat down nearby, waiting until she had finished. Without opening her eyes, Willow smiled at him.  
"You know, since you're human now, Spike, you aren't as quiet as you think you are." She sighed, and turned to look at him. "You still don't look great. I suppose there's no help for that, though." She stood up, brushing dust off her pants. "We should probably start making arrangements to go back to England. Usually, I'd suggest flying, but since we're sort of limited on time, and since Angel still can't handle the sun, I suppose we'll have to teleport."  
"Angel's coming with us?" Spike fought to keep from shouting, but barely managed it. As soon as he spoke, he understood the reasoning behind having Angel go with them…though he still hated the idea.  
"In case you…" Willow sighed. "In case you can't help Buffy, and he can. I know it's not exactly ideal to you, but we had to think of every option to help Buffy."  
Slowly, Spike nodded. "If it turns out that…that I'm not her…" He paused, having trouble even thinking the words. "I'll just be happy knowing she's okay. I'm sure it'd make the old Watcher happier if I wasn't." He stood up. "Still, the sooner we get back to London, the better."  
Willow sighed as they headed out to the living room to join the others. Willow went over the plan with the others, and Vi offered to have the area witches help with the spell. Spike watched, wearily, as the others started arranging things for the spell. While he was watching, a blonde girl, who was about Dawn's age, came and sat next to him on the couch.  
"So Vi tells me that you died to save the world." The blonde girl smiled at him. He saw a faint resemblance to Buffy that made a dull ache begin in his chest. But he nodded. "And you were a vampire with a soul at the time? Like Angel?" Spike snarled, startling himself with the noise as much as everyone else in the room. He wasn't aware his human body could produce such a noise.  
"Angel and I are nothing alike." Spike grimaced. "Our coloring's all different." He smirked slightly, at the memory that brought with it.  
Eilish held up her hand. "Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to upset you." She smiled. "I'm Eilish." She grinned at him.  
"Spike." He studied her face for a moment. "I'm sorry, but have we met before?" He couldn't shake the feeling that he recognized her from somewhere, and not just because she shared a faint resemblance to Buffy. Eilish beamed at him.  
"I was here, several months back. You might have caught a glimpse of me." She stood up and flipped her hair, similar to how she had been dancing in the club that night. "I was pretending to be someone else…to keep evil forces from getting to her."  
Spike grinned. As she spoke, he realized Buffy had never truly been with the Immortal. He also realized just how insanely jealous the thought of her being with him had made Spike feel. Angel came over, before they could say anything else.  
"Eilish, I spoke to Shannon. She agreed that London is the best place for you at the moment. Giles wants the others to help train you a bit more." Spike watched as Angel talked to the girl, noticing something about the way he did. Spike couldn't help the small smirk that crept across his face. Standing, he moved away from them and over to where Willow was putting the finishing touches on the preparations.  
"We're ready to go." She glanced up at Spike. "When we get there, the healers will be waiting for us, in case. Your wounds aren't serious, but the number of them are." Spike nodded.  
"Thanks, Red. For everything." Willow grinned up at him for a moment before turning to the others.  
"Okay, everyone going to London, we need to gather over here." They did as she said, and along with the others, she started the teleportation spell.  
Spike lost his balance, and found himself on the ground in the Watcher's compound of England. He struggled to get to his feet, but eventually managed, swaying only slightly. "Let's go see Buffy."


	19. Chapter 19

Faith laughed. The sound sent chills up Buffy's spine. Buffy couldn't remember Faith's laugh ever sounding quite so menacing back on Earth.  
"So, we have a new Slayer in town. Oh, and doesn't she look so pretty." Smiling, Faith took a step towards Buffy, but Angel stepped between them.  
"Get away from her Faith. It's me you want." Buffy could see Angel was running on empty, and wondered where the strength to stand up to Faith had suddenly come from. Faith twined her body around his.  
"Aw, come on, Angel. You know why I poisoned you. You also know I can help you. Especially now that there's a fresh Slayer in town." Faith grinned at Buffy again.  
Spike had silently slipped away. During the confrontation with Faith, the vampires had been moving, trying to sneak around behind them, but Buffy's sense were on high alert. When they struck, she was ready. Unfortunately, she was still badly outnumbered. Faith had brought about a dozen vampires with her, and since Angel was in no shape to fight, Buffy was quickly overpowered. They knocked her out, the last thing she remembered was Angel's panicked expression as he too passed out.  
Buffy woke up in a cell. She recognized the surroundings as the Bronze. She was cold and she hurt. As she sat up, her head spun slightly. Near her, a voice moaned. As her eyes adjusted, she found Angel's limp form. She moved closer to him, unaware that the Master was, at that very moment, using a dark witch to communicate with Angel telepathically and convince him to bite Buffy.  
As Buffy touched him, something in Angel's head snapped. He reached out, pulling her down to him with a strength that didn't fit his condition. His jaws clamped down on her neck. Without a weapon, Buffy tried to fight against him, but was somewhat helpless to overpower him. She had no way of knowing that the Master and a few other vampires were lending Angel their collective strength.  
Right as she was about to pass out, Spike burst into the room. He slammed into Angel with enough force to knock him off of her. Spike scooped Buffy up, and started back the way he had come.  
Getting her away was hard. Vampires, including Faith and a recovered Angel tried to stand in their way, but Spike fought to keep Buffy safe. He even amazed himself by doing it. Eventually, he got her far enough away to check her wounds. She was barely conscious.  
"Please. Stay awake, love. I'll get you help. But you have to stay with me." His hands shook as he brushed hair from her face. On a whim, he leaned down and kissed her lips. As he did, a small shock passed through Buffy's body that wasn't unpleasant in the least.


	20. Chapter 20

In London, Willow motioned for the healers to move forward and help Spike, but he pushed them away. "Bloody hell, Red. I am fine. Besides, Buffy is the one who needs the help right now. Not me. Where is she?"  
Willow sighed and led him down to Buffy's room. Dawn was asleep, her head resting near Buffy's side. Spike moved to her and touched her shoulder lightly. Dawn sprang up, startled and turned to glare at him, but the glare quickly dissolved into a wave of tears.  
"Hush, Little Bit. It's all right." He wrapped his arms around her, wincing slightly as the motion set off a twinge of pain. "Buffy will be just fine."  
Dawn shook her head, blinking back tears before looking up at him. "It's not even that, Spike. You died. Before I…before I got a chance to say that I…that I know you never wanted to hurt her. That I know you love her." Spike tightened the hug, unable to speak for a few moments.  
"Nibblet, it's all right. I didn't blame you for hating me. Hell, I deserved it, for what I…what I nearly did to Buffy. Bloody Hell, Dawn. If you had followed through with that threat you made, I would have deserved that, too." He moved to help her sit in the chair and knelt down in front of her. "Pet. Look at me, please?" He touched her cheek, and she did.  
She smiled at him. "Go, help Buffy please. We can talk more after you help her." Spike grinned and nodded. But before he could move to Buffy's side, Angel was already there.  
Spike watched, breath held, as Angel bent over Buffy's still form. As his lips touched hers, Spike's heart sped up, painfully. But…  
Nothing happened. Buffy didn't stir. Her form never changed. Spike let out the breath he had been holding. Dawn reached out and squeezed his shoulder gently.  
Spike smiled at her and stood up, moving to Buffy's side. Angel lingered, but eventually moved away. Spike touched Buffy's cheek for a moment, before moving to kiss her. The seconds after his lips touched hers were tense, but Buffy's eyes fluttered open. She drew in a deep breath.  
"Spike." Her voice was rough and barely above a whisper. She said the one word, before pulling him back to her. She touched his face, as though she was trying to memorize every inch of skin. The warmth of his skin told her, this was HER Spike. The Spike she had fallen in love with, the Spike who had gone to get his soul. For her. The one who was now human.  
They were oblivious to everyone else in the room. Spike brushed his hands over her hair, stroked her cheek, and watched her carefully. He was worried she would disappear. Part of him worried this was nothing but a dream, that he was still inside Wolfram and Hart's catacombs.  
Buffy started crying at some point. To be honest, she wasn't even sure why she started, but Spike just held her. He didn't say anything, and neither of them noticed that the others had left the room.  
Some time later, she told him about the place she had been, about what had happened. But more importantly, she told him how she felt. And this time, she was determined to make him believe it. To show him that she wasn't just saying it, that she truly felt it, deep in her heart.  
It was a few hours later before they decided to come out from the room and track down the others. Willow and Xander had been sitting at a table in the makeshift cafeteria, talking about the old days. Dawn was talking to Eilish, and as it turned out they had a lot in common. Buffy grinned watching her little sister. Spike had his arm wrapped around her waist, and was holding her as close as he possibly could.  
"Hey Buff! It's about time you woke up. Sleepy-head!" Xander stood up and walked toward them. Spike let go of Buffy's waist, long enough for Xander to hug her, and then took her hand.  
Together, they walked over to the table. They sat down with the others. "So Buffy, what happened? We know you were under a spell, and that Spike had taken off because he had amnesia. But what happened to you exactly?" Willow asked Buffy, smiling briefly at Spike.  
"There was this man…I could have sworn he looked like…" She shook her head. "It's not possible, and I know that, but he totally looked like the Mayor of Sunnydale." She sighed.  
She went on to tell them about what she had dreamt about while under the spell. But the thing was, she wasn't entirely sure it had just been a dream. Buffy finished, and the others sat in stunned silence. Spike squeezed her hand gently, reassuringly.  
"So it's possible the Senior Partners had a way of bringing back the Mayor?" Xander asked, looking a bit freaked out. "I'm guessing he didn't look like the big snake dude he did when you stuck it to him, eh Buff?" Buffy shook her head.  
"He looked human, though he had some sort of power I don't really remember the Mayor having before." She looked over at Spike. She had noticed the injuries covering his body. "Spike, why don't you go talk to the healers? We can decide what to do next, but until then, there's no need for you to be in pain." She smiled up at him.  
"Okay, love. I can take a hint. I'll let you three talk." He smiled at her, and leaned in to kiss her on the forehead. He stood up. "If you need me, pet, let me know." He left the room. Buffy turned to watch as he left.  
"So what is our next move?" Xander said, in an attempt to pull Buffy's attention back.  
"I honestly don't know. Everything I've heard about these guys is bad." Buffy turned back and looked at the others. "After all, that's why I was sure…" She glanced in Angel's direction, aware that even if she lowered her voice, he'd still be able to hear her from where he stood beside Eilish. "I was so sure he had turned evil because he had gone to work for them. Heck, we were all convinced of it." She sighed and shook her head.  
"Eilish is one of the girls who pretended to be you. She's the one who was under Andrew's care in Rome. The one who was keeping an eye on the Immortal." Willow had caught Buffy's eyes lingering on the young blonde.  
"Apparently, she even fooled Angel and Spike." Xander smirked as he spoke. Willow gently hit his arm.  
"Xan, stop. Behave." Willow rolled her eyes. "So we'll figure out where this Mayor look-a-like is hiding and go from there. We really need to ask Spike what was up with the dragon too." If Buffy had been taking a drink, she would have choked.  
"Dragon? What dragon?" Willow and Xander explained about the bizarre scene during the rescue mission. "He…mentioned a dragon once. In his sleep. He was having a nightmare about the big battle that went down in L.A. He wouldn't tell me anything about it when he woke up. I still don't think he'd talk about what happened that day." Buffy shook her head.  
"Okay, so not the best idea to ask him about it at the moment then." Willow sighed. "I'm going to talk to the Coven members about tracking down the Mayor guy." She stood up. Buffy mirrored her movement, and stepped toward her friend, hugging her.  
"Thanks, Will. For everything." Glancing at Xander, Buffy lowered her voice. "Spike told me what you said. It…it means a lot to me." She smiled at her best friend, wishing she could repay the favor.  
If only there was something she could do to help. Willow and Kennedy had been broken up for a few months, and Buffy knew that it was because Willow had never quite gotten over what Warren had done. She had an emptiness that Kennedy had tried, but never quite managed to fill.  
Buffy shook herself from her reverie. "Let me know if anyone from the Coven finds anything." Willow nodded, smiling at Buffy before as she walked out of the room.  
Buffy sighed, then sat back down. Xander moved to sit beside her. "Look, Buff. Please hear me out. Don't get mad, okay?" Buffy looked up at him, studied his face and nodded slowly. She knew too well what was coming. "I don't like Spike. I don't like the things he's done to us in the past, especially to you. But I can see now that he's different. He's a better man than he was when we first met him. Heck, when we first met him, he wasn't even a man. So that right there? Big change. And I know that my opinion doesn't really matter when it comes to these things."  
Buffy started protest, to tell him it did, but Xander held up his hand. "I know it doesn't, not really. It's okay. It's not like I haven't made my own choices. Some not as great as others. But back to my main point. As long as you're happy, and he doesn't go back to his evil ways, I will be happy for you. Buff, that's all I want. To see you happy. I just wish Will could find someone…else, who makes her that happy again."  
Buffy grinned at him, then sighed. "I wish so too. But I don't know what we can do to help her. And what about you? Anyone new in your life?" Xander shook his head.  
"To be honest, I haven't had the time. Giles has had me in heavy training to be a Watcher, and I've been helping Faith get things under control in Ohio. So considering the only non-demony women I've been around lately consist of Faith and the newbies, not so much."  
Buffy nodded. "Well, I know it'll happen for you, Xan. You deserve happiness." Xander wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of Buffy's head.  
Dawn cleared her throat as she sat down on the other side of the table. Eilish and Angel had left the room. "Enough of the sappiness. Seriously, I think all the sweetness gave me a cavity." She grinned at Buffy.  
"I suppose we ought to go see what the others found. I want to check on Spike too. Dawn, wanna come with?" Buffy spoke tentatively, since she wasn't sure if her sister and Spike were still on bad terms. But Dawn nodded, a grin on her face. "Okay. Let's go. Xan, we'll meet you in the Council wing in a little bit." Buffy stood up and started toward the door with Dawn.


	21. Chapter 21

Spike had three healers working on him when they found him. He looked…comfortable. Buffy couldn't help but smile at the look on his face. Dawn giggled, and Spike's eyes flashed open. He sat up, and the healers moved away from him.  
"Hey. I was just…"  
"We know what you were just, Spike." Dawn smiled widely as she moved to his side. "Feeling better I take it?"  
"I'm fine, Bit." He smiled at her. Buffy moved to his other side. "How'd the talk go?"  
Buffy filled him on what they had talked about. "We were just going to go see if the Coven had any clue how to help track down the Mayor guy. Wanna come with us, or do you need more healing time?" She smirked slightly.  
"Come on, Love." He stood up, pulling her up with him. "Let's go be heroes. And after, I have something important we need to talk about." He pulled her close to him, kissing her gently, his hand resting behind her neck.  
When he broke the kiss, Buffy leaned into him for a second. Then, she straightened and took his hand. "Let's go."  
They made their way down the hall to the part of the compound that served as the Coven headquarters. Willow and the others were gathered around a table. They appeared to be in some sort of trance. Suddenly, one of the witches straightened, and her eyes popped open. A moment later, the other witches opened their eyes and Willow stood up.  
"Oh! I didn't know you three were in here. We found him. The Mayor. And we're fairly certain it is him. But the good news is, we think we can beat him." She turned to the witch who had reacted so severely. The girl, a young girl with red hair, stood up and came over to them.  
"Hi. I'm Lily." The girl held her hand out to Buffy. "As Willow said, I know of a way to take the Mayor, or whatever he is now, down. I saw it in a vision."  
Buffy shook Lily's hand. "If anyone but a friend of Willow's from the Coven said that sentence, I'd be worried." Buffy grinned at the girl.  
"Yeah, there might have been a better way to word that, now that I think about it." Lily grinned back at Buffy. "So here's the plan." They spent the next half hour talking about the plans to find and take down the Mayor. Once everyone was aware of the plan, they got the necessary weapons and all together.  
Buffy and Spike had a moment alone together. "Spike, are you really okay? Maybe you should stay…"  
He put a finger to his lips. "Hush. I'm not letting you go anywhere without me, Love. So drop it." He picked up the crossbow. "Let's go." He led her to the door.


	22. Chapter 22

In a few seconds, she had managed to unveil a huge building. The group headed inside. The interior resembled Wolfram & Hart's L.A. office. But it seemed completely deserted. They moved cautiously through the halls.  
Lily moved to one of the offices. She tilted her head as if she was listening, but there didn't appear to be anything to hear. Buffy watched her. Lily turned to Willow and pointed at the door.  
_"She says he's in there."_ Willow used the telepathy trick she had learned many years before. _"Let's move quickly."_ Buffy moved to kick down the door.

As soon as she had, they attacked. The group moved into the room, but the Mayor was ready for them. If it hadn't been for Lily's quick thinking and shielding skills, his spell would have taken them all out.  
At the same time, the members of the Coven started a spell to contain him. Lily had, while planning, pointed out that the Mayor not only had protective spells on him, he was also working for the biggest demonic group on Earth. And surely, they wouldn't allow him to be killed very easily.  
So, they had come up with a spell to contain him while they worked on the spell using Buffy's scythe that would take the Mayor out permanently. While that was going on, something was gathering behind the group. But everyone was so focused on the spell and the Mayor that by the time they noticed it, the force was ready to attack.  
Darkness covered them, making it hard to see anything, even each other. Buffy froze, realizing too late that her senses had not alerted her to the dangers this force had proven to be.  
This was something she couldn't fight. At least, not in the usual way. But she knew she had to fight against it. Willow and the others started chanting. As they did, Buffy found she could see their surroundings a bit better. The Mayor was stalking towards Spike, who stood completely unaware of the danger.  
Buffy moved fast. It took only a few seconds for her to cross the room and reach the Mayor. She swung the scythe in an arc and brought it down the same way she had when she fought Caleb.  
The moment the Mayor fell, the lights came through the darkness. She could see the others clearly, and saw that, amazingly, they were all unhurt. She moved to Spike.  
"Now, what was it you wanted to tell me earlier?" He grinned at her and pulled her into his arms.  
"Later. Let's get out of here." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. A bright, blinding light broke their kiss. A moment later, a woman stood in front of them.  
She was pale. Almost vampire pale. But there was a strange, other-worldly gleam to her skin. She studied Buffy and Spike. No one else in the room seemed to notice her. When she spoke, her voice was crystalline and high. It rang in the air like a bell.  
"I am the Fate known by the Greeks as Lachesis. I have been sent to Earth to right a wrong. A life was taken many years back, one that should not have ended so soon. I was sent to correct the wrong my sister Atropos mistakenly caused." Lachesis looked over her shoulder at the others, who seemed frozen in time. Buffy squeezed Spike's hand, a clammy kind of chill in the air.  
"I am to grant Buffy Summers the wish of life. You may restore to life one person of your choice. They will be returned to your realm as human and live a normal, human existence." Buffy's mouth opened and closed a few times. She closed it, and thought for a moment. Any one life. That meant she could…her thought trailed off as she looked up at Willow. Suddenly, her choice was absolutely clear.  
"Tara Maclay. I choose Tara." Spike wrapped an arm around Buffy's shoulder.  
Lachesis beamed. "Good choice. Tara will be waiting for your return at the headquarters of the Watcher's Council. No one must know about this. They cannot know the specifics of Tara's returned." With another flash if light, Lachesis had disappeared.  
The spell that had frozen the others broke and they turned. Buffy was stunned for a moment, but covered it quickly. "Let's go home. I don't think anyone else is here to fight us." She took Spike's hand again and he grinned at her, leaning down to kiss her head.


	23. Chapter 23

They convinced Willow to walk into the Council compound first. Buffy wished that Lachesis had told them where exactly Tara would be, but she was sure Tara would find them. Buffy's heart pounded as they walked into the compound. Spike leaned over and whispered to her.  
"Let's go somewhere else. They'll probably want to be alone for awhile anyway. And I have something to discuss with you and the Bit." Buffy nodded and let him lead her and Dawn away from the others. Once they had reached their room, Spike made her sit on the edge of the bed.  
"What I've been trying to find the right time to tell you is this: I want us to live together." Buffy looked around. "No, no. I don't mean here." Spike held up his hand. A key dangled from one finger. "I own a house. It probably needs a lot of work. I haven't actually stepped foot in it for…" He shuddered thinking of the events that had unfolded the last time he had been in his family home. "Any way, it's ours."  
"Ours?" She looked at him confused. Instead of answering her, Spike knelt down in front of her. Dawn gasped, realizing what was going on sooner than Buffy did.  
"Buffy Anne Summers, I have been in love with you since the very first moment I saw you. Granted, I fought hard not to see it until much later. But you are everything to me. You've made me want to be a better man. You are the reason I got my soul back, the reason I fought to be a champion. I've said it before, and I'll say it everyday of the rest of my life. You're the one, Buffy." He held up a little black velvet box, holding the most beautiful ring Buffy had ever seen. "Will you marry me?"

THE END (For Now! Stay tuned for the next story in this set, If I Didn't Have You)


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